Album Review: Make Another World by Idlewild

Turning 30 last year seems to have had quite an effect on Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble. He grew an impressively bushy beard, released a folk-influenced solo album, My Secret Is My Silence, and curated the recently released Ballads of the Book, a ponderous collection of collaborations between Scottish authors and bands. Clearly, he would like to dispel any impression that these unduly mature extracurricular activities have affected Idlewild's sixth album: its opening track, In Competition for the Worst Time, is power-pop at its most fresh-faced and fuzzy, a wrangle of guitars that throttles Woomble's vocal at every turn.

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As passionate as Pearl Jam and as literate as R.E.M. (both of whom they’ve toured with), this quintet of Scots have had a tough slog in America. Though all excellent, none of Idlewild’s past, folk-tinged records have made a domestic dent. The band’s response? Pump up the volume. On Make ….

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